Gifts Worth Giving

by applejackofalltrades

Rating: everyone
Tags: Equestria Girls, Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Romance, Rarity (EqG)
Length: 5630

Twilight and Rarity go on a date and discuss some much needed topics.

With Applejack out of town, Twilight takes Rarity on a date and uses the opportunity to breach a difficult subject. In turn, Rarity unearths some truths she’s never shed light on.

Another entry to my Transverse AU. Recommend you start at the beginning. This fic contains a single, slight use of needles!

Consider donating to Point of Pride (A charity for Trans People!)

Published 2023-06-30 17:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-06-30 17:30:01 UTC

Not Always The Obvious

In exactly one hour and twenty-eight minutes, Twilight had a date. It had been written in a colour-coordinated, messy-looking, yet well-organized planner two weeks in advance, just the way it was meant to be done. Twilight tried to plan everything down to the hour, usually even to the minute, and it always worked. Always. Efficiency was easy to master once the basics of planning and coordinating time was perfected, and Twilight had long since done that.

One hour and twenty-seven minutes. Twilight stretched out and stood from the chair he sat in, lazily running his hands through his still-messy hair, and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. Since he woke up two hours ago, he’d been doing nothing but studying. There was a big test in his AP Physics class in only thirteen days! But now he had to get ready for his date. He was already going to be behind, and he could not have that. There was only an hour and twenty-six minutes left, which was just on schedule.

A simple lunch date was what he looked forward to as he approached the dresser on the opposite side of his room. Space-themed decorations led the way and he paused for a moment to glance at his aquarium. The flora thrived as usual, and the array of little fish swam happily as if to say hi.

Finally, though, at his dresser, Twilight looked over his options. It was only a casual thing; lunch at The Sweet Shoppe. Well, it was as casual as a Valentine’s Day date could be. Even though the bakery would undoubtedly be full of couples, Pinkie helped him ensure that the Cakes saved a booth for him. Regardless, he thought about what they could do.

Perhaps they could go for a walk in the park or watch a movie during the afternoon showings afterwards. All of those things sounded delightful! It was only a shame that Applejack was out of town for the weekend, but she insisted that it was alright as long as Twilight didn’t let that affect his date with Rarity. And he definitely wouldn’t! It was a little sad that he couldn’t also spend time with Applejack, but as she always said: ‘When business calls…’

Nevertheless, Twilight smiled at himself and clenched his fists tight, bringing them up to either side of his face and shaking them in excitement. He had been looking forward to the date for a week! Next to him, a familiar little dog ran up to Twilight’s legs and barked. The noise brought Twilight’s attention down to the pup. “What’s up, Spike?”

Spike bounced impatiently on his paws. “You’re going to be gone all day,” he whined. “Can’t you take me with you?”

Twilight smiled and bent down to lift Spike into his arms. He was certainly growing up! But the more Spike grew the stronger Twilight felt, even if it wasn’t by much. Quickly, he grew tired of holding the pup and gently placed him down on his back. “Sorry, Spike, but even if I wanted to I can’t bring you into The Sweet Shoppe!” With a silly giggle, Twilight rubbed Spike’s belly. “At least, not after last time.”

His hind leg twitched in satisfaction, but as soon as Twilight stopped, Spike shook his head and huffed. “Oh, come on, I didn’t mean to eat the display. Besides, you’re all giggly and stuff,” he complained, rolling his eyes in a way a canine would never normally do. “But fine, as long as you bring me one of those yummy dog treats that Mrs. Cake always makes!”

As he set the dog back down on the ground, Twilight cocked his head. “Which ones?”

“The ones they keep in that little stand next to the register,” the dog responded eagerly. “You know, the ones that are a different shape every week!”

Twilight giggled and shook his head. “Spike, those aren’t dog treats.”

“Uh, yeah they are. Pinkie Pie told me so herself! She tried one once and, let me tell you, she had the biggest overreaction I’ve ever seen!” Spike sat down and scratched behind his ear as he casually revealed the small detail that Twilight—whose jaw dropped—had somehow missed.

“What?! But I like to snack on those when I study!” Twilight facepalmed. “No wonder Pinkie thinks it’s weird!”

“You are weird,” Spike pointed out matter-of-factly, “but I guess some people like that. I mean, you have two girlfriends!”

Twilight wasn’t sure if he should feel complimented by Spike’s (true) point, or weirded out by the way he wiggled his doggy eyebrows. Instead, the blue-haired scholar shook his head and refocused on the task at hand. “Yes, and I am meeting one of them for a date in,” he checked his wristwatch and gasped, “an hour and eighteen minutes! Spike! It takes forty-three minutes to bus all the way to outer Canterlot on a good day, leaving me only thirty-five minutes to get to the bus stop!”

The purple dog lifted one side of his mouth in an almost grimace. “That’s a lot of time, Twi. You’re practically dressed already!”

Purple eyes shot down. What Spike thought was already being dressed, Twilight would call nothing short of a disaster. His arms flailed wildly at his sides. “No, this is just home wear! A white T-shirt and some shorts aren’t good enough for Rarity, not on a date!”

“And definitely not in the middle of winter.”

Twilight groaned and threw his hands over his eyes.

“Besides, I really don’t think Rarity would mind. She just wants to hang out with you,” Spike pointed out, hopping onto a chair next to the dresser.

With a firm glance at Spike, Twilight opened the drawer. Inside were various neatly folded polo shirts and other assorted pants. He scoffed and ignored Spike’s completely valid point. He still had to look good for her, and even though it wasn’t the most important thing in the world, Twilight still liked to make an effort for his girlfriends. Especially Rarity. She definitely cared more about that kind of thing than Applejack, who often just wore her work duds.

Spike gave a canine shrug and settled back into his spot, though he kept on intently watching Twilight.

At least he had already been wearing his binder—that was one less step he had to take. Though, suddenly, he froze. “Spike,” Twilight asked urgently, “what day is it?”

“Uh, Saturday? I think?”

Twilight had to fight back the urge to slap himself in the face. “I haven’t taken my T shot!”

“You should do that,” Spike uselessly responded.

“I know!” Twilight shot back, reaching into the back of his dresser. He felt around until he put his palm on a hard plastic container. “Ack, I’m wasting so much time!”

Fumbling to set up, he took everything he needed out of the box as Spike yawned and curiously watched. A syringe, two needles (both of different gauges), an anti-bacterial wipe, a bottle of sanitizer, a small vial labeled ‘Taro-Testosterone Cypionate’, and a star-themed bandage were laid out on the dresser in a neat line along with a bright red sharps disposal box.

In a hasty move to knock two birds with one stone, Twilight threw his shirt across the room and then squirted sanitizer onto his hands. Then, frantically tore open one wipe, rubbed it on the top of the vial, then ripped open the other and wiped where the injection site would be on his thigh. Next, he opened the syringe and the larger gauged needle, carefully inserting it into the vial and filling it up accordingly, making sure that there were no air bubbles. Carefully disposing of the needle, he replaced it with the smaller gauge and pressed it into his high with one quick move and slowly pushed the testosterone into him.

It felt kind of strange, even after a year and change of doing it, but as soon as he finished and put the bandage on it, Twilight couldn’t help but smile.

Even if the smile lasted as long as a second before he had to put it all away and continue getting dressed. Now standing practically half-naked in front of his dresser with only shorts and a binder to his name, he glanced down at his clock and groaned. An hour and eight minutes left? How was time just slipping away?

Twilight, not for the first time, found himself wishing that he could time travel. Absolutely nothing would go wrong.

“Lunch date,” he muttered, looking over various polos. “With Rarity. At the Sweet Shoppe.”

“Bring me back one of those dog treats you like,” Spike reminded him.

The only response he got was a barely stifled scream.

The door burst open and let in a cold gust of wind as Twilight stood in the doorway of the Sweet Shoppe. Snowy air ruffled the hair that stuck out from under his black toque.

Several of the patrons turned to the dishevelled Twilight, each with varying degrees of surprise on their faces. In return, Twilight smiled sheepishly and lurked into the store, glad that everyone had gone back to their conversations. He took off the glasses that had fogged over and wiped them on his sleeve before looking around for his date.

Sure enough, Twilight’s eye was drawn right to its target. At one of the booths sat Rarity, basking in her usual beauty. Her purple locks cascaded down from beneath her fuzzy hat, perfectly framing her alabaster face.

As soon as she noticed Twilight, Rarity eagerly waved a hand at him and beckoned him over. Twilight kicked his boots on the ground and left behind as much of the snow as he could, though his feet still squeaked on the mostly wet floor.

“Hi, Rarity,” he greeted with a relieved sigh. His cheeks burned reddish, equal parts thanks to the cold and to his date. With a practiced smile, Twilight reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a little black box. “I got you a gift.”

Rarity smiled as he leaned down to allow her to give him a quick, chaste kiss. Her lips were warm against his, even just for a brief moment. Her eyes widened as he handed her the gift box. “Oh, darling, how sweet of you!”

Inside the box was a silver charm bracelet. On it, however, was only one charm. It was a small book that hung from a little loop. Twilight blushed as he rubbed behind his neck. “I figured since we met at school that I’d get you a book to commemorate that. Even if you met me… as someone different.” He looked away bashfully. “I know it’s not that creative, but I figured there’s lots of space on the bracelet for more charms. More memories.”

Rarity squealed in adoration as she wasted no time adorning her wrist with the bracelet. She looked at it with a huge grin on her face. “Aw, Twilight, I think this is perfect,” she exclaimed, barely able to tear her eyes away from the bracelet. “And the book will not only remind me of when we met but also of you, sweetheart.”

Twilight grinned happily as Rarity immediately put the bracelet on. It was a simple silver colour, but it still looked amazing on her. Twilight thought that maybe it was just Rarity that could make anything look beautiful. She was already so beautiful! “Well, I’m glad you think so. I wasn’t quite sure what to get you, but I know you are into fashion. As you probably could tell, however, I am not at all a big fashion guy, so I figured I could get you a simple accessory that may compliment whichever outfit you chose to wear, which is why I went with a simple silver rather than something like gold or—”

“—Twilight, darling?” Rarity interjected, placing her hand on Twilight’s forearm. He stopped mid-sentence but before he could ask what she wanted, Rarity leaned across the table and gave him a tender kiss. She let it linger for a moment before leaning back again. “You’re rambling.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Twilight sheepishly apologized, absent-mindedly licking Rarity’s lip gloss off his lips. Vanilla. He certainly didn’t mind being interrupted like that.

“Quite alright, dear.” Rarity glanced at him and giggled. “Don’t you want to take off your coat? It’s quite warm in here.”

“Oh, yes.” Twilight looked down and unzipped his jacket, opting to simply hang it from the backrest of the chair. As promised, it was quite warm in the shop. He had decided to wear a light blue polo beneath a dark purple blazer and a magenta bowtie. It was very nerdy, but Rarity thought that the nerdy look was cute, and he kept that in mind. “I was in so much of a rush to get here I guess I haven’t been able to fully relax just yet.”

Before he had the chance to do it himself, Rarity pulled the toque off of his head, leaving his hair a ruffled mess. Rarity ran her hands through his dark locks and put them into what could perhaps be considered some kind of order. “I got you something as well,” she told him as she tenderly fixed his hair, “though I’m afraid it’s not nearly as wonderful as your present to me.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s fine,” Twilight mumbled, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of Rarity running her fingers on his scalp. It was comforting. Like a massage. “You didn’t have to get me anything anyway.”

“You must be joking, Twilight! It’s Valentine’s Day! I simply had to get you something,” Rarity told him as she reached into her bag to pull out a gift bag.

Twilight thought about how Applejack had told him he didn’t need to get her anything, and they agreed to leave it at that. They were so different, but that’s why Twilight loved them both.

“Well, it’s painfully obvious what I have gotten you, and I worry you may think it is a cop-out on my behalf since it’s… well, so obvious.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but kept a teasing smile on his face. “It’s a book, isn’t it?”

Rarity smiled sheepishly. “Well…”

He just laughed and eagerly accepted the gift bag. It was hot pink with purple tissue paper hiding the gift, very much screamed ‘Twilight’. “Rarity, I love books! Sure, it may be ‘obvious’, but that’s only because I make it so easy to give me gifts!”

Twilight looked in the bag, and as foretold, there was a thick tome in it, but not only that… “Rarity, this isn’t just a book.” He took out the other item and set it carefully on the table. It was a dark blue glass sphere adorned with a pattern that Twilight instantly made out as being the constellations of the night sky. He looked over it with a wide smile. Of all of his interests and academic pursuits, astronomy specifically was his special interest.

He took out the book as well and was barely able to contain himself. Twilight looked at the two gifts and then at Rarity, who smiled fondly as he shook his arms in his excitement. “I absolutely love this star map lamp! I’ve been looking at it online and it’s the only one I could find that had an accurate representation of all the constellations when projecting to the ceiling.” He lifted the book in his hands, a shiny black and purple coloured textbook titled Dark Stars: Gas Superpowers, a Collection of Theories and Studies, First Edition by Starswirl the Bearded, and held it up so Rarity could see. “And, and this book! I have the third-edition version myself, but it’s been so heavily edited and dumbed down to grade school levels that it doesn’t even mean anything anymore! But you! You got the first-edition version with the addendum at the back and the collection of copies of Starswirl’s personal notes! I’ve been looking for this everywhere!”

“You’re so cute when you’re excited,” Rarity cooed. “It was quite the adventure trying to find that book, but I got in touch with some of the people at the observatory who had connections, and they found a way to get me one.”

Twilight ducked his head. “I hope it wasn’t too expensive.”

“Oh, never you mind that,” Rarity scoffed. “What matters is that you liked your present and that this has been a successful start to our date.”

“Aw, that sounds like something I’d say.”

“I suppose you’re rubbing off on me,” Rarity teased with a wink, making Twilight blush even harder. “Could you be a dear and get us something to drink? I noticed Mrs. Cake giving me the side eye for the past ten minutes sitting here with nothing ordered.”

A quick glance toward the counter to Mrs. Cake, who barely managed to look away in time, confirmed her suspicions. Twilight nodded in amusement and stood up. “Of course! What did you want?”

“A white hot chocolate, if you would.” Rarity reached into her purse, but Twilight waved her off.

“No, I’ll get it.” Twilight backed up into the line, which thankfully wasn’t that long. White hot chocolate was one of Rarity’s favourite drinks to get during the cold weather, so Twilight mentally kicked himself for not having guessed it. Even after being in a relationship for so long, Twilight still wondered if he was a good boyfriend. He did his best but he wasn’t sure if he was doing it right.

Sure, he could just ask Rarity or Applejack, but they would both just tell him he was a great boyfriend because of course they would! And then they’d probably just think he was overthinking things as usual and end up disappointed in him for it. He had had a long talk with his therapist about being so self-critical, but no matter what, he couldn’t help but question his abilities.

After all, Twilight had been playing the wrong part for most of his life, and he was definitely sure he had been at least doing that wrong.

Twilight’s hands began to clam up again, despite the warmth of the store. He rubbed them against his pants and looked around upon recognizing the signs of spiraling into a panic attack. Breathe, he told himself. Ground yourself.

The bakery smelled like cocoa and pastries. The faint scent of coffee seasoned the air, too. It always smelled like that. Twilight took a deep breath. Faint music played in the background, some kind of poppy love song that he could otherwise remember some of the words to. People around him talked in idle conversation, and sometimes soft laughter broke through. The beeping of some kind of machine sounded from behind the counter. He took another deep breath. Windows took up most of the space on the walls. Outside, snow gently drifted toward the ground. Cars drove by while people bundled up in all sorts of layers of colour made their way to their destination. Twilight took one last deep breath.

The world stopped caving in on itself slowly. He was overthinking things. He was fine, he was a good boyfriend. Even if Rarity would never say otherwise just to spare his feelings, Applejack was too honest to lie to him. She would have called him out on it had the opposite been true.

“Twilight? It’s your turn.”

Twilight’s eyes focused back in on his surroundings properly. Mrs. Cake smiled at him behind the counter, motioning for him to step over and order. He’d been holding the lineup. Sheepishly, he stepped up and smiled. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright, dear,” Mrs. Cake reassured him. “If I may be so bold, I presume you and Rarity are on a date.”

That got him to smile more earnestly. “Yes, we are. It’s our Valentine’s Day date. We’ve been planning it for two weeks.”

“Oh, isn’t that just adorable?” Mrs. Cake gushed. “I remember being your age. Valentine’s Day with Mr. Cake was just amazing year after year.”

Twilight nodded. “Oh yes, I’m sure. You two are quite the happy couple! How are the twins?”

“They’re great, they’re growing up so fast.”

“That’s nice, I’m glad,” Twilight said. He noticed that the small talk had come to an end, so he took the cue to proceed with his order. “Could I please get one medium white hot chocolate and one medium latte mocha?”

“Of course, hun,” Mrs. Cake responded, punching in the order in the register. “And might I say, you are looking like quite the strapping young gentleman today! Rarity is a very lucky girl.”

Twilight blushed at the compliment. Even after being out for as long as he had been, it was still such a strange feeling being correctly gendered by people other than his immediate family and his friends. “Thank you. I think I’m the lucky one, really. Rarity is fantastic and Applejack is amazing, too.”

“Oh, yes, how is Applejack? I’m surprised she isn’t here.”

“She’s great. Still trying to get things figured out, but doing good. She’s on a work trip to the next town over with Big Macintosh, something about an apple delivery.” Twilight pulled out the bill from his pocket and handed it to Mrs. Cake. “Keep the change, by the way.”

Mrs. Cake positively beamed as she put the bill in the register. “Well, give her my regards next time you see her. And you enjoy your date, Twilight. Take some biscuits for Spike. On the house, whichever ones you want.”

Twilight nodded and gave his thanks once again, moving to the side so that the queue could move on. Hands in his pockets, he shifted his weight from side to side and bobbed his head in time with the music faintly playing from the radio. I sure am lucky, he mused happily. I have such a loving and accepting family and equally great friends.

He grabbed the drinks, pocketed two heart-shaped dog treats (for dogs!!!) and politely made his way through the crowd of love-struck teens back to Rarity, who seemed to be checking her reflection in a pocket mirror. Twilight failed to suppress a grin as he set down their drinks and the cupcakes. “You know, you look beautiful.”

Rarity lowered her mirror and returned the smile. Her cheeks filled with a tinge of red. “Oh, you're such a charmer. Thank you for the drinks, by the way.” She took a sip of hers after giving it a gentle blow and licked the whipped cream off her top lip. “Absolutely delicious. They never fail to amaze.”

Twilight laughed softly and nodded. “That’s true.” He took a tentative sip of his own drink but frowned as the scalding liquid burnt the tip of his tongue. “Rarity, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, darling.” She curiously tilted her head in that cute way she always did.

Twilight nudged his glasses, mostly just a nervous habit of his. “Do you still… love Applejack?”

Rarity’s expression did not falter, but Twilight noticed a slight twitch in the corner of her mouth. She tried to cover this with a lick of her lips, but it was evident that Rarity had been somewhat blindsided by the question. “Well, yes, of course. She’s a dear friend!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Twilight bluntly stated. He scratched his chin and blew on his coffee, watching Rarity’s eyes search around the room, maybe for an answer.

After a few moments of nothing, Rarity glanced down at her drink. “I think there’s a part of me that won’t ever be able to stop loving Applejack. I think you understand why. She’s such a strong person and she is so confident and self-assured. I very much admire that about her, and all of those traits are what made me fall in love.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, I understand what you mean. I feel the same way.”

“Then surely,” Rarity continued with a crooked smile, “you understand why that is not something I can simply ignore.”

Twilight thought long and hard about what he wanted to say next. He had a difficult question, one that he had been curious about ever since the day Applejack came out and, subsequently, Rarity had ended her relationship with her. He’d never known how to ask it, and thought perhaps it’d be overstepping a boundary, but he really had to know.

But maybe it’d be best to ease into it.

“Maybe.” He put his hand further out on the table. An invitation. Rarity accepted and cupped her hand on top of his, which he then covered with his other hand. “But, if you still love her then… then why did you end things with her?”

Rarity let out a sharp breath that could almost be called a scoff. A curt laugh, even. “Well, b-because I’m straight.”

Twilight nodded and looked over Rarity’s shoulder. He thought once more about how to put his thoughts into words. Something inside him had been bugging him, something that told him that perhaps, Rarity needed to talk about the situation differently. More earnestly. More openly. “If I had not transitioned, or even, if I was not trans at all, to begin with, would you have never liked me?” he asked slowly, carefully making sure he said what he wanted to say.

“That’s… I mean, I don’t know, Twilight.” Rarity laughed uncomfortably. “That is a big ‘what-if’. I have admired you since the moment I met you. Before you, you know, became more yourself. And seeing you do that, be honest with yourself”—she squeezed his hand beneath hers—“really made me admire you even more. At some point, that admiration turned into attraction, I suppose.”

“Look, I don’t want to overstep my boundaries here.” Twilight swallowed and let Rarity’s hands go. “Have you ever… considered the fact that you might be attracted to girls? Even just… a little? Or rarely?”

“I… Considered it a few times,” Rarity responded. She spoke without the usual confidence in her voice. “But ultimately, I… I don’t know, I suppose I just didn’t… I wasn’t sure that…” She furrowed her eyebrows and mulled over her words. “I like boys. Only boys.”

“Okay,” Twilight said. He nodded and lifted his cup once more, taking a sip of the now more comfortably warm drink. It was delicious, but he wasn’t really focused on that. “Okay, yeah. I just wanted to ask.”

The conversation died. Or, at least, it took a beat. Rarity sipped at her hot chocolate, but the distant look in her eyes told Twilight that she was deep in thought. He knew that look, the intense concentration that leaked into frustration. But there was something else there.

“I don’t know, Twilight.”

He looked up at her.

She looked at him.

“I don’t think I am being fully honest with you. Or myself,” she continued timidly.

Ah. “Elaborate?”

Rarity sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. A habit, Twilight knew, that the seamstress had picked up from Applejack. “I guess there is a part of me that thinks maybe I am, in some capacity… Well, you know.”

“Attracted to girls?” Twilight supplied.

“Yes. That.”

He laughed dimly. “Okay, why can’t you say it? It’s not a bad thing.”

“I know,” Rarity shot back quietly. She glanced around and frowned. “I know, and I am ashamed of myself for even feeling this way, but there is an even bigger part of me that does not want it to be true.”

Honestly, Twilight suspected as much. He offered her a gentle smile. “Rarity, that’s normal. I mean, we are raised in a world in which, despite the ever-growing acceptance and tolerance of people that do not fit into societal norms, people who don’t fit into a certain box are ostracized.” He sighed and adjusted his glasses. “I mean, I felt like my world had ended when I realized I was trans. I knew there was nothing wrong with it, but I couldn’t help but feel afraid. Afraid that everyone was going to see me differently and that nothing would ever be the same again.

“And I was right! My entire life turned upside down, and so many things did change. People did see me differently. But at the same time, that gave people the opportunity to love me in a different and new way. And I found acceptance.” He smiled as he recalled the experience. “I told Applejack, first. I told her because she was my best friend. And she sat outside with me while I cried. It was our middle school graduation dance, and I felt terrible for dragging her away, but she told me I was more important than some silly school dance.

“And it took a while, but that shame I felt went away. It went away because I realized the people making me feel shameful didn’t really matter.” Twilight sniffed, but he kept the tears in. “So, if there is a part of you that feels ashamed that you might possibly be attracted to girls, that’s okay. It’s normal, but it goes away. Or, at least, it mostly fades.”

Rarity nodded, clearly on the verge of tears, but she bit them back, if only barely. “I don’t want to feel ashamed.”

“I know, Rares.” He looked around, and while nobody was really even paying attention to them, he motioned to the door. “You wanna talk outside? It’s stuffy in here.”

“Yes, please.”

So they made their way out. Twilight wrapped his arm around Rarity, keeping her close while she wiped away a stray tear. He excused them through the line of people until they both blushed from the sharp cold. Twilight let out a breath which he watched dissipate into the frosty winter air. The warm drink in his hand was a welcome pleasure, along with the weight of his presents in their bag. He took a sip.

Rarity took his hand.

“I really do admire you, Twilight. The way you are so unapologetically you.”

Twilight smiled and squeezed her now-gloved hand gently. “Thank you.”

“And,” she continued rather timidly, “I wish to take a page from your book. I’m still unsure where I really stand on the matter but… But I do think that my door may swing both ways.”

“I’ll be here to figure it out with you,” Twilight promised. He stopped their aimless wander to give Rarity a gentle kiss. They separated slowly, noses brushing slightly. Minty. Chocolate. Vanilla. Twilight licked his lips. “Do you think you’ll ever try things with Applejack again, if she is willing?”

Rarity breathed out heavily through her nose and slightly shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s fair to her. I don’t quite yet know how I feel, and I know I hurt her. I don’t want to lead her on or take advantage of her feelings. I still love her, and I always will, but I think it’s best for us to remain friends.”

“Okay,” Twilight responded. He had to admit, somewhat selfishly, that a part of him was disappointed. He always hoped somehow that things would go back to the way they used to be, but things had changed. He thought back to his own words. Things changed, but that isn’t a bad thing. Change was a scary word for Twilight, but this change was okay. “It might be for the best.”

Rarity nodded. She drank from her cup as snowflakes fell calmly around them. It was always so serene how the snow absorbed sound and made the entire world feel at peace. Quiet, clean, simple. Like everything around them was its own little world, devoid of troubles. Like a snow globe.

“But... maybe someday,” Rarity whispered. “Thank you, Twilight.”

Author's Note

Okay, so, FINALLY, here’s that Twilight-centred Transverse fic I kept waffling about. I want it to be known that I literally started writing this LAST YEAR in February, and I just couldn’t seem to get the words out the way I wanted. I would chip away at it and then get frustrated and stop, but I finally found what I really wanted to do with this story. At that point, it was just a matter of deciding whether or not it was the right choice. But, I decided to go through with it. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what I was debating there.

Anyway, so yay, finally after such a long time, I finally get to post this entry. And I love this universe, the Transverse, so much because I get to write things that I maybe wouldn’t otherwise. I hope y’all enjoyed this one.

Now if y’all don’t mind I’m gonna ramble about myself. For me, lots of things changed during the writing of this story. At some point well into writing, I started taking testosterone. At that point, I changed Twilight’s T day to Saturday when it was originally Friday so it could match mine. Then, the government decided to stop funding online healthcare and thus, the trans healthcare that I was receiving. I ran out of T, and I couldn’t even get the prescription renewed because there was a national shortage and the pharmacies here suck. I’ve been off of T now for as long as I had been on it in the first place. The clinic I was receiving this healthcare from has now made it possible to continue their services, but since the government stopped funding them, it’s no longer free. And I can’t afford it, so I don’t know when I’ll be starting T again. It’s been a whirlwind of frustration, which also made it kind of hard to write this. But, obviously, eventually, I did end up finally finishing it. I think I’m happy with this story.